


What the World Thinks of You

by shaggydiz



Category: RWBY
Genre: Background Bumbleby, Canon Compliant, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Rare Pairings, Useless Lesbians, is that really their ship name?, random one-sided attractions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-31 01:03:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13963995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shaggydiz/pseuds/shaggydiz
Summary: After the Battle of Haven, the teams finally have a chance to relax.  For Weiss and Ilia, they finally have a chance to confront their pasts, and each other.Canon complaint as of the end of season five.





	What the World Thinks of You

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! Joining in with the "let's do Ilia/Weiss rarepair crackpair fun!" story. Hope you enjoy, and as always, drop a comment and kudos down below.

1

 

                If there was one thing Weiss Schnee was thankful for the most, it was finally having her team reunite as one again.  It had taken many months, and many hardships for all of them, but coming back together, and gaining a much-needed victory at that, made Weiss that much happier.

                Team RWBY, the day after the defense of Haven, was spent catching up after being apart for so long.  Blake had the most to tell, as the other three had talked at length for the past couple of weeks about their journeys, but each of them had caught the cat faunus up on their specific adventures as well: Ruby traveling with Team RNJR; Yang’s recovery from her injury; and, Weiss finally escaping from Atlas, getting away from her father.  Secretly, she dreaded what was coming, but she would deal with returning home when it happened.

                For now, she just wanted to sit and be in the company of her friends.

                Their interplay was as strong as ever.  Yang – probably thinking about the conversation Weiss had with her a few days ago – was quick to forgive Blake.  The latter was a bit wary of that forgiveness, but she accepted it nonetheless.  Afterward, it was all puns, most of them coming from Yang, with Weiss throwing a few in for good measure.  Ruby and Blake rolled their eyes repeatedly.  Ruby herself was quick to swipe a cookie from everyone, much to the chagrin of the others.

                They laughed and had fun.  Weiss, for the first time in a long time, felt completely alive with her team.

                It’s like they were never split apart.

                Later that day, as the sun began to set, the girls found themselves at a hot spring, mainly to soothe their aching muscles.  The relaxation in the hot water turned into a splashing game between Ruby and Yang.  Weiss and Blake were quick to hide from it, opting to move to the far end of the tub.

                “Hey,” Weiss started, turning to Blake and tuning out the sisters.

                “What’s up?”

                “Who was that girl that came with you?” she asked.  Weiss only noticed her briefly yesterday, after Cinder’s allies had been defeated.

                “She’s Ilia.  She was like me once.”

                “And now?”

                “Now,” Weiss saw Blake smiling, the look of a happy memory passing through the faunus’s eyes.  “She’s like me now.”

                Weiss nodded, and left their discussion about the girl at that.  She would seek her out tomorrow, and hopefully make friends with her.

 

* * *

 

 

                For Ilia Amitola, being around this strange group of people set her on edge.  The day after they drove the White Fang from Haven, she found herself along the fringes of the students, sticking somewhat close to Sun.  Seeing Sun being so close to other humans…

                _And where’s Blake when you need her?!_

                She found out early on that Team RWBY – their moniker – had hightailed it out of the dormitory for the day and were spending it together.  “They haven’t been a full team since Beacon fell,” the awkward boy, Jaune, told her.  “They need this bonding.”

                Ilia understood, though it left her without one of her lifelines.  She did what she could though and found that she did enjoy the company of Sun’s friends.  The three of them – Jaune, Ren, and Nora – meshed well together; they missed their fourth though, it being that girl with the giant scythe.  There was someone else, from what she could gather, that they missed dearly.

                “If you’re interested,” Jaune said to her that evening, “we’re looking for a fourth.  Only if you’re interested.”

                “I’ll consider it,” Ilia replied.

                Hopefully, after leaving the White Fang, she can find something new to join, something that’s fighting the right cause.

 

* * *

 

 

                The second day came around, less sore than the first, and the team met everyone that was available for breakfast: Jaune, Nora, and Ren were there, happy to see the girls together again; Kali and Ghira, sticking around for one more day before they headed back to Menagerie to plot out the next course for faunus rights; Sun, who was expecting the rest of his team later that day to prepare for the next trip; and Ilia, who looked, and probably felt, strangely out of place amongst all of these people.  Weiss noted the girl – brown hair, spots like freckles, grey eyes – and her placement at the table, sitting between Kali and Blake.  She saw her skin shift color, tinting towards orange, like she was nervous.  Weiss watched Blake talk to Ilia after a while and calmed her down to the point where she was back to her normal skin color.

                “That’s interesting,” she mused to herself.

                “What was?”

                Weiss looked to Yang.  “She’s a chameleon faunus.”

                Yang glanced over to where Blake and Ilia sat.  “You should say hi.”

                “Are you sure?” she asked.  Her resolve from last night was a fleeting thought this morning.  “You haven’t forgotten my name, right?”

                “Nope,” Yang said with a pop.  “Want me to put in a good word with Blake?”

                “You don’t need to –”

                “Already done.”

                Weiss watched Yang hold up her scroll.  “How…?”

                “She’s a master of deception and sleight of hand,” Ruby chimed in from behind Yang.  “How else do you think she wins at all of those scroll games?”

                The blonde blew on her finger like a gun.  “Smoking good,” she quipped.

                “I got nothing,” Weiss shrugged, before a ‘ding’ interrupted their discussion.

                “Blake says it wouldn’t hurt, at least with all of us there.  Shall we go after breakfast?” Yang asked.

                Weiss nodded.

                At least, in the group, it wouldn’t go too bad, right?

 

* * *

 

 

                “I know who you are,” Ilia told the white-haired girl as she introduced herself, her skin turning red.

                _She is a Schnee… how is Blake friends with a Schnee?!_

                The chameleon faunus watched her from afar during breakfast, noting how the girl was looking over to her during breakfast, wondering what evil thoughts was going through her head, wondering how hard it was to sit with other faunus at the table.  Maybe she purposely sat as far away as possible from her and Blake and the Belladonnas because the girl thought they were filth and not human.

                How could Blake be friends with such a person, let alone teammates?!

                “Oh…” the girl said, almost confused.  “I… can you tell me about yourself?”

                “My parents died in one of your mines,” Ilia spat at her.

                The Schnee girl, rightfully, was taken aback.  “I see.”  She looked away briefly before making eye contact again.  “If you’ll excuse me.”  And then she left.

                _Good riddance._

                Ilia glanced around, finding several pairs of eyes rounding on her.  “What?”

                “Weiss isn’t the person you think she is,” Blake told her.

                “She’s a Schnee, right?  That’s all I need to know.”

                “That’s wrong, and you need to check yourself,” the blonde-haired girl spoke up, her eyes flashing between violet and red, before she too left, trying to catch up with her teammate.  The leader, Ruby, looked at Blake, and something unspoken between them occurred before she disappeared.

                Ilia turned to Blake and her parents.  “She’s a Schnee,” she repeated.

                “We know, and Blake’s one of her biggest supporters,” Ghira explained calmly.  “From what our daughter has explained, she’s had as rough a go of things as all of us had in the past few months.”

                “You should apologize dear,” Kali said, in her motherly tone.

                “To _her_?  I won’t.”

                Ilia turned to Blake, finding her friend… sad?

                _Why are you friends with a Schnee?_ Ilia thought to herself.  _Why do you defend her?_

                She watched Blake walk away without another word, leaving Ilia pondering what went wrong just now.

 

* * *

 

 

                Weiss sat on the deck, alone, watching the sun dip below the horizon, going over everything that went wrong in the morning.  What turned into a simple meet and greet ballooned into her worst fears: her past haunting her yet again, this time in the form of the chameleon faunus who lived through the worst that her family could put her through.  And now, with her disinheritance, there was very little she could do to correct the continued injustices against the faunus.

                She sat forward, wrapping her arms around her legs and hiding her face.  Her plight was making her depressed.  “This sucks,” Weiss muttered.

                A shuffling sound brought her out of her thoughts.  Weiss glanced back over her arm, finding Ilia standing at the door to the deck, arms crossed uneasy over her chest, her skin having turned varying shades of green and peridot.  Did the girl want to continue her beratement from earlier?

                It would be well deserved indeed.

                “I, um…” Ilia started, keeping her glance everywhere but at Weiss.

                “What is it?” Weiss snapped, more impatient than she needed to be.

                That startled the girl.  Her freckles flashed red, briefly, but then she took a calming breath, and her skin – spots and all – started turning back to a pink, skin-like color.  “I came to apologize.  I judged you harshly, without knowing you at all.”

                Weiss sighed.  “You knew me enough.  What you said was right though.”

                “Still!  I was in the wrong!”

                Weiss shook her head.  “Come sit with me,” she told her, waving her hand next to her.

                Ilia hesitated for a moment, before she quickly walked over to the former heiress, settling down several feet away from her.

                “Tell me about your parents,” Weiss said to her.

                Ilia leaned back, reflecting for a moment.  “They were kind parents.  They worked in a mine in Mantle.  It paid little, but they didn’t mind.  They were so alive at home, filling everything with warmth and love.  They wanted me to hide, which made sense at Mantle, so I hid.  I knew why.  I mean,” she held up her arm, allowing it shift colors from pink to blue to black and back to pink again, “humans would freak out, right?

                “But… when they died, I… I hated humans.  I hated the Schnee name specifically, because it was their name on the mines.  So I eventually turned to the White Fang.  I became what they needed.  And I… I forgot the love my parents gave me.”

                “I know that mine, or I saw the records of it at least,” Weiss said, glancing over to Ilia.  “I was twelve when it happened.  My father was furious about losing that mine.  Said it was one of the biggest mines he owned.  Not once did he mention the workers there though.  He only kept talking about disgusting animals.  That I got that from him.  Stupid, impressionable me,” she laughed bitterly.  “But I hated faunus as much as you hated humans.  I hated the White Fang even more, because they were killing my family, and it took… well, you know who it took…”

                “Blake?” Ilia asked.

                Weiss smiled.  “She helped me break that programming that I’ve been forced with from almost birth.  Faunus weren’t disgusting creatures of habit, but humans like us, living lives full of love and enjoyment.  I kept them down, but now I want to help them as much as I can, to make up for everything my family has done.  Everything my father has done.”

                Ilia nodded.  “Blake is amazing, isn’t she?” Ilia asked, turning the conversation away from Weiss’s past.

                “Well,” Weiss started, chuckling, “she’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.  She’s got a handful with Yang too.”

                “What do you mean?”

                “Ah, well… Yang wants Blake, even after everything that’s happened.  That’s all there is to it.  And I think Blake wants her just as much.  They just don’t know how to talk this through.”

                Weiss looked over to Ilia, and she saw that her statement didn’t go over as well as she expected.  The faunus’ skin shifted colors, changing through different hues of green and orange.  “Let me guess…” Weiss started to venture.

                “I loved her,” Ilia said, a tear sliding down her cheek, “but she didn’t love me like I wanted her to.”

                Weiss nodded, and, cautiously, slid over next to the faunus, lightly draping her arm over her shoulder.  “If it’s any consolation,” Weiss offered, gently squeezing Ilia’s shoulder, “it’s that I know all too well the dilemma of unrequited love.”

                “Who?” Ilia managed to ask, looking up at Weiss.

                Weiss smiled, sadly at first, but then a bit wistful.  “Just someone a little too enthused in her weapons.  But that’s fine, really.  Some people just aren’t as interested in romance as others are.”  She let go of the faunus and stood up, extending her hand out to her.  “Now, I feel we should properly introduce each other this time.  What do you say?”

                Ilia smiled, grabbing the offered hand and being pulled up by the girl.  “I like that idea,” she answered.

                “Very well,” Weiss said, looking up slightly into the girl’s eyes.  “My name is Weiss Schnee.  Pleasure to meet you.”

                “I know who you are,” Ilia answered, this time with no malice, but with a smile and a slight twinkle in her eyes.  “I’m Ilia Amitola.  The pleasure is mine.”

                And then they shook hands, smiling, and glad to have put their past behind them.

 

* * *

 

 

2

 

                Ilia spent the next week getting better acclimated to her surroundings.  She apologized to Blake and her teammates for her actions the day after her encounter with Weiss, which they all quickly accepted.  “You apologized to Weiss,” Yang told her.  “That’s what matters to me most.”

                She was glad to spend meal times with team RWBY and the other students, and found that she was enjoying the sense of familial camaraderie that all of the students.  It was all so different from being in the White Fang: everyone here was serious, but everyone was also fun and jovial.  Nothing was grim or depressing about this group, and it allowed the fog that surrounded Ilia from her time with the Fang to dissipate.

                That dissipation, it seemed, allowed for more… peculiar thoughts about the Schnee girl to settle in.

                She didn’t hang out with the white-haired girl initially after their nighttime encounter, but she passed her in the hallways, always waving and saying “hello” and receiving it in kind, always sending a smile her way whenever they locked eyes.  By yesterday, she found herself glancing away, even while sitting by her, feeling her face heat up slightly.

                Ilia was sure it was nothing, but it didn’t stop the random thoughts that came to her, about how she really just wanted to hold her hand, and…

                _But why?_

                This morning, a week after her initial conversation with Weiss, she found herself in the sparring arena with Jaune, Ren, and Nora.

                She walked up to Jaune and said: “I’ve thought about what you asked.”

                He looked at her expectantly.  “And?”

                “I’ll join you guys,” she answered, smiling.

                “All right!  Team… um, what do our letters spell again?” Nora asked excitedly.

                “RNJR, if we still had Ruby,” Ren told her.

                “But we don’t have the first ‘R’ anymore,” she said.  “Jaune-y boy is going to lead us again.”

                “So ‘J’, then ‘N’, ‘R’, and ‘I’.  That’s a combination that’ll be hard to figure out,” Jaune said.

                Ilia smiled at them.  “I’m glad you guys are willing to accept me, even without a semblance.”

                “Nonsense!” Jaune waved her off.  “We’re glad to be a full team again, and from what Blake told us, you’re an exception fighter.”

                “You’ll fit right in,” Ren told her.

                “And don’t worry about the semblance thing!” Nora said, smiling.  “Jaune just discovered his a week ago!”

                Ilia was excited indeed.  “What were you guys working on?” she asked, stretching her arms over her head.

                “Nothing in particular,” Jaune said.  “Mainly throwing ideas around, goofing off.  We’re still in a holding pattern since Oscar hasn’t woken up yet.”

                “Mind if I hang back for a bit then?” she asked.  “I’d like to study you guys for a bit, see where I can fit in.”

                “Sure!”

                Ilia moved off to one of the walls, watching the three of them spar with each other.  Jaune was the most traditional fighter, she saw, utilizing his sword and shield well.  Ren blended more martial arts into his routine, and even found a thing or two she could learn from him.

                Nora… swung a giant hammer around.  She was a force of nature indeed.

                Eventually they took a break, and Ilia moved over to join them.  “Who do you want to spar with first?” Jaune asked as they were catching their breath.

                “How about me?”  The team looked towards the entrance of the arena, finding Weiss leaning against the door.

                “Um… sure, I’m up for that,” Ilia said.  She moved to the center of the arena, all the while experiencing those peculiar thoughts she’s had about the white-haired girl before her.

 

* * *

 

 

                Weiss found herself in a conundrum in the week following her late-night encounter with Ilia:

                She couldn’t get the girl out of her head.

                It started innocently enough.  Weiss would see her at all the meal times, give her a friendly nod and wave, and proceed through her meal with the students.  Nothing was really said between them the first few days, but by the end of the week, Ilia had commanded her attention.  With the Belladonnas gone, the girl positioned herself by Blake, but that also put her closer to Weiss, and Weiss – unintentionally, or, quite possibly, intentionally – found herself studying the chameleon faunus.  She watched how Ilia’s eyes moved around; how her spots seemed to smile when she did; the elegant way her ponytail flipped; the strong, confident way she presented herself.

                And Weiss couldn’t help but find her attractive.

                That morning, after breakfast, she found herself wandering the halls of the dorm, allowing herself to be taken in whatever direction her feet decided, when she came upon the training arena.  Looking in, she found Jaune, Ren, and Nora all training.  Beyond them though, against the wall, was Ilia, watching their every move, learning as much as she could.  She didn’t see Weiss, and the former heiress was grateful; it allowed her to study the faunus from afar this time, and to find her just as beautiful as she did when they were closer together.

                Eventually, the training stopped, and she heard Jaune ask who Ilia wanted to spar with.  She couldn’t stop the words tumbling out of her mouth, but she recovered with a smile as they all looked towards her.

                Ilia agreed, and they met in the center of the arena, their rapiers drawn.

                “I’ll be careful with my strikes,” Weiss told her.  “You haven’t shown me how strong your aura is, so I don’t want to cause you harm.”

                Ilia shrugged, cocky and self-assured.  “I think I can handle anything you send my way.”

                Weiss smirked, emboldened by the challenge.  She struck her sword into the ground, allowing a couple of glyphs to form: from them, a pair of boarbatusks emerge, sniffing and growling towards the faunus.  “Are you sure?”

                Ilia nodded and deepened her stance.

                “Then land a hit if you can.”

                They sparred this way for several long minutes, with Ilia whipping away whatever grimm Weiss formed, and Weiss bouncing this way and that, staying away from Ilia’s reach.  The faunus eventually landed a hit, against Weiss’s left shoulder, but the former heiress was able to sneak a boarbatusk into Ilia’s side at the same time.  They both tumbled to the ground, feeling sore and exhausted from the intensity of their spar.  Weiss found Jaune standing over her, and when she looked towards Ilia, spotted Nora and Ren helping the girl up.

                “You all right over there?” Weiss asked across the arena, extending her arm towards Jaune.

                Ilia cracked a smile, her skin shifting to a blue-green color.  “Never been better.”  She coughed, a bit too harshly.  “Okay, except for my ribs.”

                Weiss laughed, though doing so shot pain into her shoulder.  “Definitely a break…”

                As the group turned towards the doors to the arena, they saw Ruby sprint through them.  “Guys!” she shouted.  “Oscar’s awake!”

 

* * *

 

 

                Ilia found herself, that evening, outside on the deck, staring out at Mistral.  She needed to get away from everyone, to think things over.

                Oscar woke up and covered the plan with the students: in one week’s time, they were to all go to Atlas, in search of the next relic.  Everyone knew what to anticipate when heading there: Salem’s group reformed and focused again, along with the possibility of Adam Taurus pulling together the remnants of his White Fang group.

                For Ilia, it would be returning to her home for the first time in years, and she was dreading it.  She didn’t want to go back to those mines in Mantle, or see the bleak modernity of Atlas itself, built on the backs of faunus slaves.  She wanted to run, and she was beginning to believe that no one would think well of her if she did.

                Behind her, the door opened.  “Oh, there’s someone out here.”

                Ilia looked back.  She spotted Weiss at the doorway, hesitant, not sure if she wanted to stay or go.

                “I can come back later,” the white-haired girl said after several moments.

                “No, stay.  I could use the company.”  Ilia looked back over Mistral, eventually noticing Weiss pulling up beside her.  They stayed silent for a while, staring out at the hills and scattered homes, collecting their thoughts.

                “It’s beautiful here, at night,” Weiss said after some time.  “It’s different from Vale.  Different from Atlas.”

                “It’s like Kuo Kuana, at least it’s beauty,” Ilia answered.  “It’s crowded, but there’s so much life there.  Not like Atlas at all.”

                “Atlas is… well, unpleasant is putting it nicely.”

                “You don’t want to go back too, huh?” Ilia asked.

                Weiss shook her head.  “I’m afraid, actually.  I escaped from my father.  I can only imagine what he would do if he got his hands on me again.”

                “I’ll cut them off,” Ilia said, bubbling in anger, skin shifting to red and black.  She looked over to Weiss, seeing the girl staring back at her, and realized what she said.  “I’m sorry… I don’t know what came over me.”

                “Don’t apologize,” Weiss said, lightly grabbing Ilia’s shoulder.  Those peculiar thoughts, meanwhile, came rushing back to the faunus’s head.  “He’s a despicable man.  I’m sure, if I had any courage, I’d do the same against him.”

                “He’s that bad, huh?”

                Weiss nodded.  “At least I have all of you guys to help.”  She let go of Ilia’s shoulder, placing it back on the deck railing.

                “I’m glad.”  She paused, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply.  “I was thinking of running away, before you came up.  I don’t want to go back to Atlas.”

                “But you have us now,” Weiss told her.  “You’re part of a team now too.”

                Ilia nodded.  “I know.”

                “Our past is coming back to haunt us, and it won’t be pretty,” Weiss muttered.

                “Agreed.”  Ilia turned to the white-haired girl.  “Can we stick together?”

                “We are.”

                Ilia shook her head.  “No, I meant _us_.”

                “I… definitely.  We should.”  Weiss glanced over to her, before turning to look at her fully.  “Us Atlesians need to stick together.  Though I guess we’re that in name only, since we hate the place.”

                “That’s true,” Ilia replied with a laugh.  “I think… it would be good for us, don’t you agree?”

                “Agreed.”

                They stayed out there for a while longer, and Ilia’s peculiar thoughts about the girl next to her became not so much anymore.

 

* * *

 

 

3

 

                “Weiss!”

                It was early in the afternoon when the former heiress looked behind her, seeing Yang run up to her in one of the dormitory hallways.  She saw Blake hanging back, keeping her eyes elsewhere.

                “Hey Yang, what’s going on?” she asked.

                “Oh, nothing.  Just, you know…”

                Weiss didn’t like this hesitance, especially from the blond.  “What is it?  Tell me.”

                Yang nodded, glanced back once, then turned and said: “Blake and I were wondering… have you told Ilia yet?”

                Weiss’s eyes opened wide at the implication.  She wanted to hide it, to deflect her question, but couldn’t: Weiss had a full-fledged crush on the faunus, and it was all over her face.

                “I… haven’t yet.”

                “Well, why not?  We’re going to Atlas tomorrow!  You might as well clear the air with her now.”

                “I know!” Weiss said, too loudly, too exasperated.  “I… does she even like me?  Am I crazy in thinking she’d actually like me?”

                “Whoa, whoa!  Easy there Weiss,” Yang said, grabbing the girl’s shoulders.  “One, and I have this on higher authority: yes, Ilia does like you.  Two: no, you’re not crazy.  I think we’ve convinced a lot of people that you’re not like your father, that you want to fight for good.  And Ilia sees that.”

                Weiss nodded.  “I… who is this higher authority, by the way?”

                Yang blushed and turned away.  “Ahem, well…”

                Weiss looked around her teammate, seeing Blake again, but this time more attentive.  Her ears were turned towards them, even though her eyes kept looking away.

                “What do you two know?” Weiss asked.

                “I think the better question,” Yang offered, turning and leading the white-haired girl towards her partner, “is what Blake knows.”

                “And what does Blake know?” Weiss asked as they stopped in front of the cat faunus.

                “Enough,” she said with a smirk.

 

* * *

 

 

                Finding that she had a crush on Weiss Schnee of all people made Ilia’s head spin.

                Weiss Schnee was supposed to be her enemy.  She was supposed to do away with the girl and be the hero.

                She wasn’t supposed to have feelings for Weiss Schnee.  She wasn’t supposed to smile and blush every single time she saw the girl.

                That’s what happened though.  Every morning at breakfast since their last night time encounter, she’d find a way to sit next to her.  She would find an excuse to spar with her every afternoon.  She’d stay away from her in the evenings, only because she was afraid of what she might do.

                Her thoughts of holding hands turned to thoughts of kissing the girl.

                What if Weiss rejected her?  Would she stay away from her?  The mission to Atlas started tomorrow, and she didn’t know what she would do if she didn’t have her now closest companion with her.

                She skipped breakfast in the morning, feigning sickness.  She needed to collect her thoughts.

                There was a knock on her bedroom door.  “Ilia?”  She looked up, seeing Blake.  “Are you okay?”

                She shook her head.  “I’m not.”

                “What’s wrong?  Do you want to tell me?”

                “I…” she hesitated.  Should she trust Blake with this?  “Promise me you won’t tell anyone?”

                “Sure.  I promise.”

                Ilia audibly swallowed.  “I… I… like Weiss.”

                Blake smiled.  “I know.”

                “You do?” Ilia asked.  Realized it was Blake that she said that to.  “Of course you do.”

                “It’s pretty obvious,” Blake stated matter-of-factly.  “You look at her like I look at Yang.  And… she looks at you like Yang looks at me.”

                “You really think she likes me too?”

                Blake shrugged.  “She hasn’t said anything, but I can tell.  It wouldn’t hurt to talk it out though, especially since we’re leaving tomorrow.”

                Ilia nodded.  “I’ll find her tonight then.  I just need to calm myself down.”

                “Okay,” Blake said.  She turned to leave, but then stopped.  “Hey… I’m sorry I never noticed you…”

                “I… it’s okay.  Life is weird, especially when we’re being lead by an abusing shithead.”

                They both chuckled.  “I can’t wait to face him again.  We can take him easily now.”

                “I know.”  A pause.  “I’m happy for you Blake.”

                “What for?”

                “You have Yang.”

                “Hmmm… I guess I do,” she said, smiling.  “I’ll leave you be.”

                Ilia waved at the departing cat faunus.  “Now, how to figure this Weiss thing out.”

 

* * *

 

 

                Weiss stood on the balcony by the railing, her gaze directed to Mistral once more.  It had become routine for her every night the past week: standing and gazing, waiting for Ilia to come out so they can talk more in private, though the faunus never did.  She was fine with that, at least now: her crush, she now knew, was mutual.  She smiled at the thought.

                Ilia Amitola.  The girl that stole Weiss Schnee’s heart.  Weiss wasn’t complaining at all about that.

                She sincerely hoped though that the girl would show up tonight though, before they left for Atlas.  She couldn’t leave anything left unsaid.  Just lay it out there and hope that the girl wouldn’t get cold feet.

                The door behind her opened.  Weiss looked back, and she was beginning to wonder if she was the one that was going to get cold feet.

                Ilia stepped onto the balcony, saw Weiss, and a small, hopeful smile appeared on her face.  “Mind if I join you?” she asked, taking a few hesitant steps forward.

                Weiss’s throat was suddenly parched, unable to speak.  She merely nodded, and watched the faunus walk towards her.  Ilia stood next to her at the railing, and together they looked out at the city.

                “It’s beautiful out here,” Ilia said, sighing contently.

                Weiss was afraid to speak – “Not as beautiful as you,” she nearly said – and instead hummed in agreement.  She didn’t know what she wanted to do or say at this moment, so she just stayed silent.

                It didn’t stay that way for long, as she felt Ilia’s gaze fall upon her.  “Weiss,” the girl said.

                “Yeah?”

                “I like you.”

                Weiss smiled, blushed, felt her stomach doing mad twists and flips.  She looked at Ilia; she saw her spots changing to a yellow-orange color.

                She had to say something.  She opened her mouth, but her throat remained completely dry, and no words could escape.

                She decided on the next best thing: Weiss took one step closer to Ilia; and, slowly, yet confidently, moved her hand next to the faunus’s hand, looping her pinky with hers.  She looked up: the orange changed to an indigo-blue and violet color scheme.

                “Are you afraid?” Ilia asked, snaking a second finger into Weiss’s.

                “I was, once,” Weiss admitted, finally finding her voice again.

                “And now?”

                “And now,” she said, fitting another finger together with Ilia’s, “now I’m free.”

                Ilia smiled.  “Atlas will be a dangerous place for us,” she warned her.

                Weiss scoffed.  “Like I care.  We’ll be fine, I think.  We have our teams.  We have each other.  Who cares what that place will think of us.”

                “That’s good to know.”  Ilia turned her gaze back to the city.  “I’m glad Blake wasn’t wrong.”

                “I’m glad too.”

                Silently, Weiss leaned into Ilia, her head resting lightly on the girl’s shoulder, their hands now completely intertwined.  She felt all the weight that had been on her shoulders for the past week fall away, replaced with something lighter, sweeter, and she found herself much happier as a result.  The girl next to her – who, two weeks ago wanted nothing to do with the former heiress – was now hers.

                And Weiss… Weiss belonged to Ilia as well.

                “Shall we get some sleep?” the faunus asked.  “We have a long day ahead of us.”

                “I think I’d like that, if only because I know I’ll sleep happy tonight,” Weiss responded.

                It took a while for either of them to move, but when they decided to go in, they walked back hand in hand, Weiss again leaning on the faunus’s shoulder.

 

                _My heart is full again_.

 

* * *

 

 

4

 

                The next day, Ilia found herself standing at the landing docks, waiting with her team for the transport to arrive that would start them on their journey to Atlas.  She went ahead with them after breakfast, though she was quick to lock eyes with Weiss when she saw her.  Ilia walked by her as she was departing the dining area, briefly touching hands, smiling as she gazed upon her.

                _I’m so happy right now_.

                “So, you and Weiss, huh?”

                Ilia fell out of her thoughts, turning to Jaune as he stood next to her.  “Yeah, we are,” she answered, contently reflected on her face.

                Jaune smiled, genuine and kind.  “Good, I’m glad.  You two will be great together.”

                “Thanks,” she responded, and she felt her heart become fuller with the support.

                “He also lost a bet to me!” Nora shouted.

                “Nora!”

                They all laughed at Jaune, before he joined in the laughter.  And Ilia was glad, because who else would she want to be with to support her on this journey?

                Out in the distance, she saw an airship coming towards them.  “Guess that’s ours,” Ren said, pulling up next to Ilia.

                “Wait for us!”  The team looked back, seeing Ruby running and waving her hand at the assembled group.  Behind her were Yang and Blake, walking closely together, enjoying a private conversation.  Behind them was Weiss, keeping a safe distance, looking pensive with her thoughts.  As she looked up, she found Ilia, and her face lit up.  Weiss quickened her pace, and soon reached the faunus girl.

                “Hey.”

                “Hey,” Ilia replied.  “Everything okay?”

                “Yeah, I’m good.  Just anxious.”  Weiss shook her head, then looked up at Ilia.  “Sorry I’m late.”

                She shrugged.  “I wasn’t going anywhere.”  She reached out, silently taking Weiss’s hand.  “I was waiting for you, actually.”

                “You were, huh?” Weiss asked, in a fake not sounding convinced tone.

                Ilia smirked.  “Well, I don’t think there was another white-haired former heiress huntress that I was looking for, so it definitely was you.”

                “Aww, you guys make me wanna barf,” Yang said off to their side.  “They’re cute though, aren’t they?”

                “I suppose they are,” Blake said, seemingly disinterested, but Ilia saw right through her.  “I’m glad you guys talked.”

                Ilia looked at Weiss, who returned her gaze.  “I’m glad too,” she said, lightly squeezing the white-haired girl’s hand.

                A moment later, the airship made its final descent.  The teams – RWBY, Jaune’s still untitled team, along with Qrow, Oscar, and Sun, fully rejoined with SSSN – climbed aboard and quickly got comfortable.  Ilia pulled Weiss along and found a pair of seats for them.  They strapped in and quickly found their hands again, locking them together.  Weiss leaned into Ilia once more, finally relaxed, prepared to return to their old home again.

                Together.

 

* * *

 

 

Omake 1

 

                “Shall we get some sleep?” the faunus asked.  “We have a long day ahead of us.”

                “I’d think I like that, if only because I know I’ll sleep happy tonight,” Weiss replied.

                Behind them, they heard a tape player click on, and the upbeat sounds of “Happy” played.  Weiss cursed herself then, remembering that the word of the day – chosen by Ruby – was “Happy.”

                “RUBY!”

 

Omake 2

 

                “What do you hear?” Yang asked Blake.  The cat faunus had her ear pressed against the balcony door, listening in on the night time confession.

                “Ilia told her!  Yes!” she whispered.

                “And Weiss?  What did Weiss say?”

                Blake listened on, and reported back everything.  She stayed alert, listening to when the pair were returning.

                “Anything else happening?” Yang asked.

                “Oh shit!  They’re on their way back!”

                Yang looked around, panicking.  “There’s no place to hide!”

                “For you at least.  Ninja vanish!”  In a poof of smoke, Blake disappeared, and as the balcony door opened, revealing the shocked looks on Weiss’s and Ilia’s faces, Yang suddenly realized she was betrayed by her girlfriend.

                “BLAKE!  HOW COULD YOU??!”


End file.
